BSTRA Receives Award

Dear BSTRA Members.
I am proud to announce that BSTRA, which includes everyone single one of you, received the following award from DCR (Department of Conservation & Recreation)
Shared Stewardship Award
Everyone has a role to play in preserving and enhancing our properties. This award is given to a Friends group, local, state or national organization, or individual including scouts and other youth volunteers, for their extraordinary service in enhancing the visitor experience, fostering shared stewardship of our resources, promoting the agency’s mission, and supporting our staff at a particular park or throughout the park system.
Cary VandenAkker, the Douglas State Forest Supervisor, nominated BSTRA.
This is his presentation.
The Bay State Trail Riders Association is a dedicated group of horseback riders who have been strong advocates for preserving and maintaining multi-use trails, which are horse friendly. Just since 1995, BSTRA has put over $210,000 worth into 13 Massachusetts state park trail projects (much more if all the other land owning agencies were included) which ultimately benefit all trail users. They have accomplished this through memberships, grant writing, donations and putting in hundreds of hours of volunteer work.
Douglas State Forest, Upton State Forest and the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (known as the SNETT-a 22-mile long National Recreation Trail that runs from Douglas SF to Franklin SF) have benefited greatly from this group. Becky Kalagher, President of BSTRA, has personally organized 40 trail workdays, along with writing and overseeing 8 grants since 1989 to improve and maintain DSF and the SNETT. On 11 miles of the SNETT alone, ground improvements worth $115,000 and in Upton SF over 1300 hours of volunteer time creating and maintaining trails.
The other state forests are Lake Dennison/Otter River, Hopkinton State Forest, Mount Grace State Forest, Great Brook Farm, Callahan State Park, Wompatuck State Forest, Peru & Middlefield State Forest, Myles Standish State Forest, Boarderland State Park, Brimfield State Forest, and Willowdale State Forest.
Not a year has gone by since I came in 1985 that we did not work with Becky and her group on improving trails. They have done so much for DSF; not to mention the other 12 state forests & parks, to insure safe and accessible trails for a variety of users who enjoy them for the outdoor recreation and fitness; which goes well with our own mission!
BSTRA, with their continuing dedication and hard work to create and maintain great trails, is so deserving of this award.